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Composing a concert is like composing a menu.... If you start with light pieces and play a 45-minute sonata after the interlude, it's like starting dinner with hors d'oeuvres and dessert and finishing with a Châteaubriand and vegetables.
Arthur Rubinstein
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote compares the structure of a concert to the arrangement of a meal, emphasizing the importance of flow and pacing.

Arthur Rubinstein's quote draws a parallel between the art of composing a concert and crafting a well-structured menu. Just as a great meal progresses from light appetizers to heavier main courses, a concert should be thoughtfully organized, leading the audience through an emotional journey that maintains interest and enjoyment. The analogy suggests that both music and dining require a careful consideration of pacing to create a satisfying experience.

Themes

ConcertCompositionMenuStructurePacingArt

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a music class to illustrate the importance of structure in compositions.

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Of course there is no formula for success, except perhaps an unconditional acceptance of life, and what it brings
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Sometimes when I sit down to practice and there is no one else in the room, I have to stifle an impulse to ring for the elevator man and offer him money to come in and hear me.
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At every concert I leave a lot to the moment. I must have the unexpected, the unforeseen. I want to risk, to dare. I want to be surprised by what comes out. I want to enjoy it more than the audience. That way the music can bloom anew. It's like making love. The act is always the same, but each time it's different.
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I'm a free person; I feel terribly free. They could put me in chains and I still would be free because my thoughts would be mine - and that's all I want to have.
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To be alive, to able to see, to walk...it's all a miracle. I have adapted the technique of living life from miracle to miracle.
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